Greece Yacht Charter
History and culture collide at the original Mediterranean cruising ground.
Glorious Yachting Holidays in Greece
Greece is a sailor’s paradise, where calm mornings cede to breezy afternoons and sun-bleached ruins line endless scattered islands. Follow in the footsteps of mythological heroes and explore ancient sites that date back to the dawn of civilisation.
Meander around white-washed sugar-cube villages, spend lazy days snorkelling in secluded bays, and feast on souvlaki with tangy tzatziki and refreshing ouzo in the evenings.
From the quiet charm of a family-run waterside taverna to the heady thrill of Mykonos nightlife, Greece will float your boat.
Whether you’re enchanted by the romance of a deserted anchorage under a star-filled sky, or you’re intrigued by the adventure of hiking a volcano or learning to kitesurf, a yacht charter in the Greek islands offers everything you need for an unforgettable holiday.
Greece is good for:
Fresh seafood
Ancient ruins
Byzantine castles
Boutique shopping
Myriad Ruins
Islands exploration
Start planning your Greek Charter
Find yachts to charter in Greece
When to visit
The best time to visit Greece is in the spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October) when the weather is warm and perfect for exploring.
Summer (July to August) is also a great, with the islands buzzing with festivals, great food, and awesome nightlife.
Where to charter in Greece?
Knowledge hub
See & do
Check the following attractions before going to Greece
The Palace of Knossos
Acropolis of Athens
Village of Lindos
Parthenon
Old Fortress of Corfu
Panathenaic Stadium
Yachts for charter in Greece
What You'll Love About Sailing Holidays in Greece
The Greek islands boast some of the best cruising waters in Europe, blessed with ideal summer weather and full of rich history, vibrant culture, and delightful food.
Warm afternoon winds, sumptuous meze and ancient ruins characterise an island-hopping yacht charter adventure around Greece’s Ionian, Sporades, Saronic, Dodecanese and Cycladic regions.
Popular Trip Types
Corfu
The North Ionian
Ideal sailing conditions make the Ionian Islands one of the most popular cruising grounds for a Mediterranean yacht charter. Spectacular scenery, idyllic beaches, secluded anchorages, picturesque harbours, excellent nightlife and crystal clear waters teeming with marine life await you.
Begin your Greece yacht charter from Corfu and mix up long passages and short island hops. Visit Paxos and her idyllic little sister Antipaxos, home to olive groves and vineyards, stunning white-sand beaches and crystalline waters. Climb up to the Bella Vista tavern overlooking Voutoumi beach for the most wonderful cliff top views.
- Fly to: Corfu International Airport
- Coastal and line of sight sailing, with longer passages
- Beautiful beaches and idyllic islands
- Learn more about a Corfu yacht charter here
- See a typical itinerary for a Corfu sailing holiday here
Lefkas
The South Ionian
From Lefkas sail to the sheltered southern Ionian, including Ithaca, the mythical birthplace of Odysseus, and Kefalonia, the impossibly beautiful island setting of Louis de Berniere’s novel 'Captain Corelli’s Mandolin'. Visit the magical Melissani Cave at midday, when the sunlight streaming through a collapsed roof strikes the aquamarine waters and fills the cave with an ethereal blue light.
Straightforward line-of-sight navigation and gentle sailing breezes make the southern Ionian's 'inland sea' an ideal destination for beginners and families to enjoy a bareboat, skippered or crewed yacht charter.
It's easy to see why so many yachts make Lefkas their primary base.
Winds tend to be slightly stronger at the start and the end of the season.
- Fly to: Preveza (Aktion) Airport for Lefkas
- Easy line of sight sailing and gentle breezes ideal for families
- Historical landscapes
- Learn more about a Lefkas yacht charter
- See a typical itinerary for a Lefkas sailing holiday
Saronic Gulf
Athens
Overlooked by the magnificent Acropolis and iconic Parthenon temple, Athens has an extraordinary amount to offer in the way of history, culture and art. Though Europe’s oldest city, it also has a modern sophistication characterised by lively street life, cosmopolitan hotels and swanky bars.
After enjoying the city set out on your Athens yacht charter to explore the beautiful Saronic Islands of Aegina, Hydra, Spetses and Poros.
Lying on the eastern coast of the Peloponnese Peninsula, these islands offer unspoiled anchorages, quaint fishing harbours, Byzantine castles, archaeological treasures, and quayside bars and taverns.
Explore the narrow cobbled streets of Hydra where cars are banned and transportation is provided by horses, mules and donkeys before visiting the famous Aphea Temple in Aegina and ambling around the bustling bars and restaurants of vibrant Poros.
While the Meltemi wind does get strong during August, the Saronic Islands are more sheltered than the Cyclades, offering great but manageable sailing for the whole season.
- Fly to: Athens International Airport
- Iconic city
- Ancient Greek temples and ruins
- Great beaches and hospitable tavernas
- Moderate breezes
- Learn more about an Athens yacht charter
- See a sample itinerary for an Athens sailing holiday
The Cyclades Islands
Athens, Lavrion, Paros or Mykonos
The Cyclades are best known for the hedonistic isles of Mykonos and Santorini, but they are actually comprised of nearly 200 islands each with its own unique feel and character. With brilliant sugar-cube villages, rugged natural beauty and cosmopolitan style, these dramatic Greek islands have so much to offer to sailors of all forms.
Prepare to explore important archaeological findings in Delos and Akrotiri, unspoiled seclusion in Iraklia and Koufonisia, hot springs in Kythnos, and even a remedy for a broken heart in Naxos (where the famous wine is thought to have healing properties) on a yacht charter through the Cyclades Islands.
Lavrion, with its great selection of yachts, easy accessibility from Athens and proximity to the first island of Kea, is the ideal starting point for a skippered or bareboat yacht charter.
The famous Meltemi winds make for some exhilarating sailing and are particularly challenging in August making the Cyclades a perfect destination to explore either early or late in the season when the breeze is still fun but more manageable.
Further apart than the islands in other Greek cruising grounds, a Cyclades charter will include some longer passages.
- Fly to: Athens International Airport or Mykonos Island National Airport.
- Longer passages
- Secluded anchorages and lively towns
- Meltemi provides consistent breeze, strong in August
- White washed authentic Greek villages
- See a typical Cyclades yacht charter itinerary here
The Dodecanese Islands
Kos or Rhodes
The Dodecanese Islands offer a chance to explore authentic and unspoiled Greece. Located in the south-eastern Aegean Sea close to the Turkish coast, the Dodecanese comprise of twelve large and numerous smaller islands, all steeped in history and bearing the traces of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires.
Start your sailing holiday from either Kos or Rhodes, which are the largest and most cosmopolitan of the Dodecanese, and sail on to some of the most beautiful and fascinating islands Greece has to offer.
Visit Tilos for its untouched natural beauty, Symi for its stunning Venetian harbour and Nisyros for its dormant volcano.
Sail to Patmos to discover the cave in which John the Theologian’s Book of Revelations was supposedly written, dive ancient wrecks in Kálymnos, “the island of the sea sponge harvesters”, and uncover the rich folklore of Kárpathos where villagers still wear traditional dress.
This is old Greece at its finest, and the consistent breezes provided by the Meltemi, combined with moderate to long distances, make the Dodecanese the ideal destination for keen sailors seeking lesser-known islands.
- Fly to: Kos Island International Airport or Rhodes International Airport
- Untouched beauty
- Rich history
- Stunning beaches
- Excellent sailing with consistent breeze
- Learn more about a Kos yacht charter
- Learn more about a Rhodes yacht charter
- See a sample itinerary for Dodecanese sailing holiday
The Sporades
Skiathos
The beautiful Sporades Islands of Northern Greece are wonderfully unspoilt by tourism. Of the twenty-four islands, only four are permanently inhabited, making this the most secluded of all Greek sailing destinations.
Visit the Sporades for spectacular scenery, white sand beaches and for starry nights at anchorage, where the only sound is that of water lapping against the hull.
Start your Greece yacht charter from the forested island of Skiathos, which shot to fame as a location for the 2008 hit movie “Mamma Mia”. Verdant countryside, rural monasteries and a cobbled maze of an old town are but a footnote to the island’s main attraction - glorious beaches.
From the pine-forested fine white sand of Koukounaries to the legions of nudists at Banana beach, Skiathos is a sun worshipper’s paradise.
Sail eastwards into the Gulf of Volos or westwards to the islands of Alonissos and Skopelos and feel an immediate change of pace. You will encounter sleepy fishing villages, lovely sandy beaches and deserted anchorages, not to mention the possibility of spotting dolphins, whales and the endangered Mediterranean Monk Seal.
The Sporades offer sheltered sailing with moderate winds making this an ideal destination for families and couples seeking peace and tranquillity on a crewed or bareboat yacht charter.
- Fly to: Skiathos Island National Airport
- 24 Stunning unspoilt islands to explore
- Fishing Villages to enjoy
- Easy sailing
- Great for families to enjoy time on-board
- Learn more about a Skiathos yacht charter
- See a typical Itinerary for the Sporades here
Itineraries in Greece
We’re here for you
Need some help?
If you are unsure about charter or boat selection, contact us at HELM to help you decide.
We only choose boats that are in excellent condition, and we are here to help you every step of the way and to make sure the whole process is as easy as possible.
